The release of new virtual monsters to chase and catch follows a stable of Go Plus accessories, including guide books and a Bluetooth wristband that flashes when Pokemon are nearby, but that may not be enough to reinvigorate the hype of months past.

Trevor Collier from Tamworth has played Go and agreed this week’s release would see a resurgence in popularity. But added the game needs more to stay viable.

There is no denying Go made it’s mark in the gaming world. But will it stick around?

On February 15, 2017, Pokemon.com announced more than 80 new creatures from the Johto region in the Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver games will begin appearing on the world of Go.

They will include Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, and players will be able to catch gender-specific Pokemon, while some of the Pokemon players have already encountered may be able to evolve into Pokemon that were previously not seen in Pokemon Go.

The new release also includes option to customise player avatars, new behaviours for ‘wild’ Pokemon and features to change the way Pokemon behave during the hunt.

The app was the 15th top grossing game in the Apple store on February 16.

Here is a look at the game that hooked millions of players around the globe, and how it did it.

The world was outraged when Pokemon began showing up in places with little discretion. Photo courtesy of imgur.com.

It was so big … and then it disappeared

Remember Pokemon Go? It was only a few months ago that (literally) thousands of people were walking the streets chasing critters living in their phones.

We all lost our minds a bit. We thought we’d cracked it. The perfect game. The biggest thing since Flappy Bird.

And then it seemed as quickly as it arrived, it was gone.

But it wasn’t for a lack of genius. The game may have had short-lived success but it did show us there was a serious market out there for games that change the game. Augmented reality felt like the next evolutionary step in gaming. It was free and tapped into a massive global fan base who had, for the most part, not seen a significant reinvention since the days of the Gameboy. Largely, it didn’t need one.

Pokemon is one of those modern classics – like The Lion King, Nintendo and Britney’s Hit Me Baby One More Time, it is the beloved childhood icon of GenYs and Millenials the world over. It makes appearances at most coming of age events, like 18th birthday parties and the Sunday morning’s that follow. A revamp was welcome, but not vital to the brand’s survival.

The problem with Go: there was little to keep players involved in the game. Sure, there were Pokemon living in your kitchen. Pokemon in the park. Pokemon, literally, everywhere.

But when the novelty of catching virtual monsters wore off, the game quickly ran out of steam.

Developers went quiet after release, one gamer said, with few updates and little support to keep the hype rolling. Players quickly lost interest.